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Amstrad Action Issue 1
This magazine was released in September 1985 and priced at £1. Amscene The Amstrad double - 2 pages (8-9) :The CPC 6128 and PCW 8256 announced Game Announcments *Wizard's Lair, Slap Shot, Danger Mouse in Making Whoopee!, Steve Davis Snooker - (9) *Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror, Rambo, A View to a Kill, Geoff Capes Strong Man, Project Future, Dragontorc - (10) Features Talking Amstrad - 3 pages (12-14) :Industry insiders natter about the machine with the future Which wrod-processor? (sic) - Chris Anderson - 3 pages (20-22) :Pocket Wordstar, Microscript, Tasword 464D Battle of the Light Pens - 2 pages (30-31) The Amsoft Power-Sell - Chris Anderson - 3 pages - (32-34) :Interview with software development manager Peter Roback and software sale manager Mike Mordecai. Reviews Second Opinions The Way of the Exploding Fist :You can almost feel the agony as a kick or a punch rips into a player's guts - or an even more painful anatomical region. The one-player game is good but the real fun starts when two people scrap it out. There's geniune skill involved in mastering the moves and the complex tactics that have to be employed in combat. The game's a smasher. Peter Connor Boulder Dash :I was really grab-factored by this one. It's one of those rare ideas that will trap even the virulent anti-gamester by its mixture of brilliant simplicity and sophisticated execution. Graphics are superb, the sound is atmospheric and I was even quite taken with the scrolling. An instant classic. Peter Connor Loco-Motion :This game railroads you into addiction. It's neither original nor sophisticated, which is perhaps why few people can resist its appeal. Once you sit down to a game you don't pay much attention to the outside world. Frenetic and exciting. Peter Connor Rock Raid :A game that oozed nostalgia. You load it up, see what it is, groan and have a desultory blast. Then you remember why games like this got you hooked in the first place and you start smashing those rocks and hyperspacing and smart-bombing and before you know what's happened you've been playing for hours. Most enjoyable. Peter Connor Dragons :The eggs are disgusting. Otherwise the graphics are quite pretty, but sometimes very indistinct - two yellow dragons together = one smudge. Controlling the character is tricky and I found the game ultimately a frustrating experience. Peter Connor Braxx Bluff :There was a very old-fashioned feel to this game. Although it's far from easy it didn't really grab me. The graphics are reminiscent of what happens when other micros crash and the sound is terrible. Peter Connor Finders Keepers :It's certainly good value - look no further for a bargain-basement arcade adventure - although the character you control has no real individuality and there's little originality in the game. But graphics and sound are pretty good. At the price there's nothing to rival it. Peter Connor Hard Hat Mack :The game's very attractive to look at - it seems dead easy, but it isn't quite. Unfortunately, it really shows its age (1983) with only three screens, and the gameplay won't test veterans of more recent programs. Peter Connor Fu-Kung in Las Vegas :I've racked my brains to find something good to say about this game, but I haven't been able to come up with anything. So I'll repeat the bad points instead: horrible graphics, worse sound, silly scenario. Peter Connor Cyrus II Chess :Chess games don't often get rave reviews but this certainly deserves it. The graphics are excellent and I found it played a good game even on level one. It should suit anyone from the novice to the grandmaster. With this display it's too attractive fo miss. Bob Wade Beach-Head :It's good to see this very enjoyable multi-blast on the Amstrad. There are lots of different tasks, some straightforward, others pretty tricky. The ship and air-attack sections are very classy, although the tank-attack suffers from the machine's jerky scrolling. Overall, it's very good value. Peter Connor Arnhem :This is certainly the best war game I've seen on the Amstrad. Display and scrolling are both impressive, the map is big and the game is demanding. I particularly appreciated being offered a choice of scenarios. The only real disappointment was the sound - the beeps and burbles when battle commences are weak, to say the least. Peter Connor Lords of Midnight :The huge amount of instructions was a daunting enough sight, but was as nothing compared to the game itself, which boggled my mind and my boredom threshold. I confess l just didn't have a whole weekend free to admire the 32,000 different views. If you havent got that sort of time and patience, you won't really enjoy it. Peter Connor Nonterraqueous :Excellent graphics - indeed, excellent everything - for a cheapo game. At 1,000 screens you're going to find it's not just your robot's psyche that gets drained. Extra class is added by Mastertronic's multi-lingual instructions and the faint warble of Bach on the speaker. A French Suite, I think. Or was it one of the English? Do let us know if you can tell. Peter Connor Sorcery+ :Absolutely wizard! Superb graphics, smooth movement, and a really intriguing game. It's not going to be an easy one to crack - the first few times I played I didn't even see a wizard. Let alone rescue one. There are some very nice touches, such as the leering ghosts, while it's very satisfying to smash your foes to smithereens with the lightning. For disc-owners it must be a must. Peter Connor Everyone's a Wally :A lovely game to look at, even if the Weeks are just about the most degenerate family in the entire computer game universe. Unfortunately, I found it desperately hard to play, mainly because your endurance runs out so quickly, but also because I couldn't figure out how to complete the tasks. But maybe I'm just a Wally. Like the 'song' says. Peter Connor Airwolf :Graphics were very impressive in their colourful chunkiness, but the music was maddening after a bit. So was the game. Control is exceptionally difficult and the puzzles are fiendish. You won't get very far to begin with. but you'll probably be back for more. Peter Connor Dun Darach :Cuchulainn looks like a real roughneck out for some aggro, and so far we haven't found any of that. Trading and strategy are more important. It's good to have so many cleverly-animated characters to interact with, even if many of them do cause nothing but trouble. This is a difficult game, but rewards the effort it demands. Peter Connor Adventure Red Moon :Level 9 have had a consistent reputation for good games, and Red Moon is one of their best, if not THE best. At £6.95 that makes it an essential purchase for all followers of the Hidden Path. DROP everything and GO for it! Sub Sunk :The Pilgrim felt that some of the puzzles were a bit too obvious, but otherwise he reckons this is very good value for money. The only thing I would point out is that some of the responses are a bit odd. Entering 'Hold breath', for example, gets the reply 'You bash it with all your might! Nothing happened.' I'm still trying to work that one out. The Shadow of the Bear :Entering R returns you to the display screen, but frankly I should just press ESC and flee to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. The game costs £3.95. but I should save your money. North Sea Bullion :Just in case you're tempted, Kuma's other offering is no better than In the Shadow of the Bear. The Pilgrim marks this game with a big red cross and advises you to avoid it like the plague. 'Nuff said. Smuggler's Cove :But overall, Smuggler's Cove can be recommended only to those with patience, a greed for gold and a forgiving attitude to sloppy programming. Amcyclopedia Cheat Mode Airwolf, Combat Lynx, Amsgolf, Punchy, Sorcery, Defend or Die - 2 pages (44-45) Map - Dun Darach - 2 pages (96-97) Other Credits Software Editor :Bob Wade Art Editor :Trevor Gilham Publisher :Chris Anderson Issue Index Category:Contains Amstrad CPC Reviews